Our First
by ShinigamiRuby
Summary: This takes place pre-game, and highlights events that happen to Fang and Vanille as they grow up together, in my own vision. Rating is for later chapters. Fang/Vanille
1. Our First Goodnight

**Our First Goodnight…**

**Rating: G**

_Author's Note: Ok so, I've had this multi-chapter story swimming in my head so I finally decided to get it started before I lost the drive, lol. Basically this is a story about Fang and Vanille and "chapters" throughout their lives growing up together, not a day-by-day thing. First several chapters have no Mature content, but is given M rating for later chapters. No spoilers here, and there will probably be a lot of things that don't flow with the game seeing as I don't really know much about their past, etc, so I guess it's kind of AU-ish? On with the story!!  
_

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The first time they met, both remembered it well. The Matron of the orphanage had entered the main building with a short and thin, orange haired girl closely in tow. She had fresh streaks on her face from tears, her eyes reddened and puffy. She clung almost frightfully to the Matrons hand with a vice grip, a small stuffed chocobo doll clutched against her chest. Her emerald eyes darted to any new person or object that came into view.

Fang was the oldest female in the orphanage at the time at 12, with that she felt a slight responsibility to take care of the younger girls, this one would be no different, Fang thought to herself as she approached the two.

"Ah, Fang, I was looking for you. I need you to take little Vanille here. There should be a bunk open in your room, so make sure she gets settled in."

Vanille's eyes welled with fresh tears that looked as though they'd soon overflow as the Matron released her hand. She now looked even more distraught than when she came through the door. She had barely given Fang a glance thus far, that is until she held a hand out for her, she tried to smile as gently as she could to make her comfortable.

"I'm Oerba Yun Fang, just Fang will do. We're going to be roommates so let's get along, ok?"

She stared cautiously at the offered hand for a moment and then finally up to the face that came with it. Vanille sniffled and glanced back where the Matron had been standing to see she was no longer there, only the sight of her back which disappeared around a corner. A hiccup could be heard echoing in the corridor, the frail girls shoulders jumped slightly from the force.

"Come on now, I don't bite, no need to get so worked up, 'k?" Fang gently grabbed her free hand and gave a slight tug to urge her into the direction of the bedrooms. She hadn't said a word, but didn't seem to object at the notion of having somewhere to rest. Fang quickly experienced the fact that this girl had a rather strong grip. Its too quiet, Fang thought, a simple question shouldn't hurt. "So, what was your name again?… Vanilla?"

The mispronunciation caused the girl to shake her head slightly.

"Hmm, I thought that was it… ya know, I'm not guna know your name unless you tell me."

A few moments passed in silence as they continued walking through the hallways. Fang noticed the shorter girls grip had loosened a little bit.

"..Vanille" the girl whispered out.

Fang didn't quite catch it for her voice being so hushed. "What was that?" Fang leaned an ear a bit closer.

"Oerba.. Dia.. Vanille" this time the taller girl heard clearly the name.

"Ah! I was close! Vanille huh? It's a nice name" she smiled softly at her and Vanille eyed her warily. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Fang noticed the door just ahead and looked towards it.

Fang cleared her throat and tossed open the door, within was a single bunk bed, a desk and a dresser and a tall, red lance against a far corner wall. "This will be where you'll be living, I'll move all my things up and take the top, so you can have the bottom, k?"

Vanille glanced around the simple room, her eyes lit up slightly as they landed on the bed last.

"Just let me know if you need anything, I'll help you however.." Fang cut herself off as the girl released her hand and darted for the bed. Vanille had quickly jumped onto the bottom bunk and curled herself under the blanket. Fang scratched the back of her head, sighing softly, "I'm sure you've had a pretty rough time…" She walked up to the bed and sat on the edge, picking up a few pieces of clothing she'd forgotten to clean off her bed earlier then tossed them into a basket.

Fang sat with her back facing the girl, but could hear the sniffles coming from under the blanket clearly. "I know exactly how you feel right now. It's hard to accept things like this, losing family.. I went through the exact thing when I was 8, I lost both my parents right in front of me. I felt lost, and alone, I cried a lot at first as well." Fang clenched a fist, "it's been 4 years since then." She glanced across the room to the tall lance resting against the wall, her eyes heated a little. "I've sworn to myself to get strong so no one can steal anyone precious to me again..."

Vanille, with fresh tears streaking her face, had peered out from the blanket to look at Fang, she could see the smoldering look in her eyes. Something about just looking at the older girl gave her an odd feeling that she couldn't place.

Fang shook her head, "Sorry, I didn't mean to go off like that, ehehe. I should let you rest now…" She made to get up from the bed but felt two small arms wrap around her stomach. Vanille held her tightly in place. Fang tilted her head to try and see the girls face only to find it was buried into her back. "Are you ok? I didn't mean to upset you."

Orange pigtails bobbed back and forth as she shook her head. Her voice soft and muffled by Fangs shirt as she spoke, "Don't leave me."

Fang's eyes widened a bit for a second, then softened, a sigh escaping her lips. She reached a hand back and petted the girls head. "I take it that means you want me to sleep with you then?" A quick nod against her back was the only reply. Fang chuckled and spoke softly, "Alright, I won't go anywhere then." Two pairs of emerald eyes met as Vanille lifted her head away from Fangs back. A strange feeling struck them both, but neither understood nor acknowledged it.

Fang had convinced a hesitant Vanille to take a bath shortly after, she even stood guard outside the bathroom to make sure no one tried entering. Dinner was after that, thankfully for Vanille none of the other many kids there bothered her too much, for they all understood how she felt then. It was bedtime afterwards.

Vanille curled on the side of the bed closest to the wall, and a sleepy Fang joined a few minutes later after she made sure to clean any mess she had ignored previously. "Goodnight, Vanille"

"…Goodnight, Fang" a soft reply, but one nonetheless. Both slipped quickly into sleep. Throughout the night Vanille had inched ever closer to Fangs warmth, right up until they were back to back. A relieved expression on her young sleeping face, that night would bring her the most peaceful sleep she'd had in days.

It was a time neither would forget. It was then that was the beginning of their unbreakable bond.


	2. Our First Adventure

**Our First Adventure…**

**Rating: PG-13 (only for the minor blood…)**

_Author's Note: This chapter takes place 3 years after the first one._

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Vanille watched with a pout on her face as Fang rushed back and forth, from one room to another and back again. Fang was helping the local Shaman rearrange some books. Vanille had wanted to help, but after clumsily dropping two stacks of books and walking into a wall with another, Fang insisted she just sit by the desk until she finished the chore herself.

It was a few minutes more before Fang finally came to rest on the floor next to Vanille, sighing as she did so. "Phew, that's finally done. Vanille?" She eyed the shorter girl who seemed to be refusing to look her in the face. She stretched and bent over a bit closer, just enough to see the side of the girls face, and took note to the puffed out cheeks and scowling expression. A grin crossed her face as she made up a devious plan.

"You're not mad at me are you, Vanille?" The only reply was a 'humph'. She started reaching her hands around on either side of the girls head. With a quick motion she extended both index fingers and effectively pressed both of her cheeks in, causing the air to escape through the girls lips with a loud raspberry sound.

Fang rolled on the ground laughing and Vanille faced her with a now angry face. "Fang! You are so mean!" Angry tears welled up in her eyes as she continued to scold the hysterical girl.

It took a loud clearing of the throat for the old Shaman to catch both of their attentions. Fang abruptly ceased her spell and got herself off the ground, while Vanille wiped her eyes as she sat up straighter.

"There now, that's more like it. I'd like for the both of you to go on an errand for me, if you will?" He didn't want to force them into it, but there was a hint of urgency in his voice. At not hearing any objections so far, he continues. "I need a fresh supply of specific flowers and herbs for the medicines I make here. I'd get them myself, however, some are in places that this old body of mine will not allow me to access. A reward of course will be given upon finishing."

Fang promptly stood and bowed slightly. "I accept your request!" It was expected as Vanille also rose and accepted the task. After the Shaman handed them a list of the plants he needed along with rough locations that they could be found, the duo set off.

Fang walked with her hands clasped behind her head. She glanced at Vanille, nothing had been said between the two since her previous teasing. It was funny at the time but now she felt a bit guilty.

Fang sighed and scratched the back of her head, "I'm sorry I picked on you, Vanille. Forgive me?" Vanille looked at her and stopped walking. Fang stopped as well with a confused expression "Hmm? Something wrong?"

"You really are mean, Fang… But, I'll forgive you this time." Fang breathed a sigh of relief. "However, you'll have to promise not to do it again." Fang cringed, and nodded in defeat.

"Alright alright, I promise I won't, now get that smile back on your face." Vanille giggled, the change in tone already lightening Fangs mood. "Ah, I need to go by the orphanage before we set out, hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, I can make us a quick snack while we're there." Fang nodded in agreement.

It took only a few short minutes for them to arrive. Fang set off for their bedroom while Vanille went straight to the kitchen and made a few sandwiches, packing them neatly into a satchel. She went outside and waited for Fang.

The older girl emerged from the building a few minutes later, her lance that was still about twice her height was in hand. Vanille gave an odd and slightly worried look towards her. "You really think we'll be needing that with us? We won't be going that far away from the village. And you can't even hold it properly yet…"

Fang grinned and huffed, "You never know what may happen out there, and I can hold it just fine thank you." She strapped the lance into the holster on the back of her belt. "Let's get going before we start losing daylight." It was only about noon when they exited the village, but with a long list of plants to find, they needed every bit of light they could have.

Vanille held the list up and read a few of the plants to herself, "Mmm, I think the first one we can find would be the Mandragora grass. Should find some right by the river." Fang nodded and continued to lead the way. It wasn't long before they could hear the sound of rushing water beyond the treeline ahead.

They shoved through the shrubbery and glanced about for any sign of the herb in mind. "Ah! Look Fang!" The sudden outburst caused Fang to jump slightly, thinking that something was coming in for an attack, only to see that Vanille was pointing at a Mandragora. The older girl sighed in relief and approached the creature. It paid them no mind as it bounded around the area with a few others of its kind.

"Hmm" Fang glanced around the area, finally she'd spotted a patch of the special pink grass, "There's some over there." They approached the patch, Fang pulling out a small knife as they did so. She grasped a handful of the herb and sliced the ground around the roots, then with a tug pulled a wad of grass and earth up. She shook off the excess dirt and placed the grass in her satchel.

As Fang dug up several wads of the grass Vanille took to watching their surroundings. Her attention, however, became set upon the playful little Mandragora that still roamed all around them. She hummed softly and rocked back and forth on her feet. Fang had already finished collecting the amount they needed and was going to ask Vanille what was next, but the sight of a peaceful Vanille struck a chord in her heart. She couldn't help but smile at the girl. She didn't realize she was starring, but the sound of a twig snapping behind them caught both their full attention in an instant.

Fang reacted quickly, snapping her lance out of its holster and holding it out in a defensive stance. "Stay behind me Vanille." She tried to keep her voice low, advancing slowly towards the direction of the sound. The shrubbery started to shake violently before them. Fang tensed slightly and readied herself for some sort of ambush. Vanille opted to do as she was told and stayed back, shivering slightly from the fear.

The began shaking and the shrubbery seemed as though it suddenly exploded, a wave of little Mandragora bounding through and rushing past the two shocked girls. Vanille squeaked as some passed between her legs causing her to lose balance and fall on her rear. Fang only barely managed to maintain her own footing and looked back to Vanille as the last few creatures cleared passed them. Fang couldn't help but laugh at the odd situation. "You alright Vanille?" She took a few steps closer, extending a hand out for the girl to grab.

"Yes, I'm fine." Vanilles face was a little flushed as she took Fangs hand and was helped up. "That was so odd, for them to be rushing off like that, and so many.." She glanced off to the direction they disappeared to.

Fang nodded. "Let's go, we should find the next plant now." She made to walk past Vanille who hadn't budged. "Vanille?" She turned to see if the girl was in a daze but no further words escaped her lips as her eyes laid upon a hulking armored beast that stood only feet away from where Fang stood previously, its armored body covered in massive spines and stood nearly twice their height. The breath caught in her throat, 'how had she not noticed it before now?!', she thought to herself.

Vanille stood petrified, afraid to make any sudden movement that would make the creature charge. Her voice came as a whimper "Fang."

The beast snorted, agitated that the girls stood between it and its quarry of Mandragora. The sound made both of them jump. A loud thud echoed as it stomped a foot against the ground.

"Vanille.." Fang grabbed at the back of the girls shirt and pulled her until she was behind herself. Then with a harsh shove to her back to get her moving and taking off right after. "Just run!" Vanille couldn't keep the tears from falling as they ran frantically.

The beasts pupils dilated and charged after them. They tried weaving through the trees and shrubs to lose it, but it would not be fooled. They now ran along the rivers bank, the beast wasn't in sight but it's thundering steps could be heard. "Just a bit further, we can make it to Oerba!" Fang kept encouraging the shorter girl in front to keep running, even though both were becoming exhausted.

The thundering steps faded and for a moment they thought they'd lost it. But they relaxed all too soon. The beast had silently flanked to their side and charged them again from behind the trees, there was no where to run to escape in time. As quickly as she could, Fang managed to shove Vanille into the rough waters of the river, her orange head emerged in time to watch as her best friend took a nasty blow to her right shoulder before she could jump into the river herself, the force sent her flying into the water, unconscious.

"Fang!!" Vanille found a rock to cling to for a brief moment, it stalled her long enough for Fangs body to reach her. She grasped the older girl in a tight hold as both were swept further downstream. "Fang, wake up!" She tried not to panic, but the blood gushing from two open wounds on Fangs shoulder didn't help. She took a quick glance up river to see that the beast was no longer after them anymore.

It was only a moment of relief, as Vanille quickly set into survival mode. She made harsh kicks with her legs to get them closer to the bank, and what seemed like forever with fighting the flow, she finally found a foothold. She only barely managed to drag Fangs limp body out of the water before collapsing next to her, out of breath and strength.

She only relaxed for a minute before setting to check Fang over. She could clearly see two open gashes on her upper right arm, but she was still breathing, shaking her head as tears wanted to spill over, 'Have to stay focused', she thought to herself. She ripped the lower portion of her shirt off, then tore it into smaller strips. Using that to wrap the wounds tightly.

She wasn't very well trained in using magics yet, but she knew the basics. She chanted the Cure spell several times, over and over until she was completely spent. She huffed trying to regain her breath. The bleeding had been almost completely stopped at least. "Fang…" A few tears streaked down her cheeks as she stroked a hand gently through Fangs wild hair, moving a few stray strands from her face.

A few minutes had passed, allowing Vanille time to calm herself. She noted that it was starting to get dark now, and as they were, she'd never be able to carry Fang all the way back up to Oerba before night fall. "Ok, fire comes first." She made a quick check list in her head before going to collect wood for a fire.

She carried a full arms load back with her, arranging some in a pile and then casting a meager Fire spell to set them ablaze. She sighed at the warmth, the light brought her comfort as well. A quick glance to Fang to see she was still out cold. She thought about finding something to eat when the sandwiches she'd made earlier came to mind.

"Eww.." She huffed as she dumped the thoroughly soggy meal from her satchel in disgust. "Well then, what should I do?" Normally Fang would just take care of the problem by hunting down a hare or some other creature, but Vanille hadn't the heart to hunt herself. Tapping a finger against her chin as she thought. "Ah!" She remembered the bind rod that she had strapped to her belt all day and held it up. Her face fell as she looked it over, "If only I knew how to use it properly.. I could have prevented this from happening." She wiped at the fresh tears on her face.

"Alright! Enough crying, food food." She made a quick check on Fangs wounds before sitting herself at the rivers edge, which was only a short distance from her companion. Casting four lines at once with her rod was at least one thing she had confidence in.

An hour past and she had no luck so far, but her determination didn't waver. Every now and then she'd toss a glance over her shoulder at Fang, she was worried, Fang hadn't shown so much as a twitch since the incident. A tug on her lines pulled her attention back to catching food. She yanked on the rod, only to come up empty from a false alarm. She released a defeated sigh as she lowered the lines back into the water.

Several hours ticked by, and with still no catch Vanille slept sitting up by the river, her head would repeatedly bob back up when she'd start to slump.

Fang awoke, and three things came immediately to her mind. First was, 'Where is Vanille?!', a glance to the river and she saw the short girl nodding off in her sleep in a very uncomfortable position and was visibly shivering with a half torn shirt. Second was a searing pain in her right upper arm, which was covered in what she figured was the missing part of Vanilles shirt. And third was the pounding headache that throbbed with every breath.

She made to get up and groaned at how sore her entire body was, 'Damn beast really gave me a thrashing.' She quietly stumbled her way next to Vanille, and her heart sank after having a closer examination of the girl. She had several bruises and scrapes on her arms and legs, none of it looked like she tried to treat them, she'd probably been too fixated on patching up Fang to notice. What really made knots in Fangs stomach, were the tears on Vanilles face that escaped her closed eyes. Sure it wasn't something she didn't see almost daily, but it felt different, it made her feel different than usual.

Fang gently cupped the girls face and rubbed the tears away with her thumbs then placed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Looks like our roles got reversed today.. Thank you, Vanille." Her words weren't more than a whisper, but she figured Vanille had heard them as she felt the girl lean her head against her palm. She smiled softly at her. "Can't very well leave you to sleep like this now can I?"

Despite her injuries and soreness, she decided to carry Vanille closer to the flame. Her teeth clenched to keep from shouting as she lifted the girl from her sitting position, the pain was intense, and her legs wobbled beneath her. It wasn't long before she laid her down within feet of the fire, tucking Vanilles satchel beneath her head. It seemed her crying had ceased, but she still shivered from the chill in the air.

Fang thought for a moment. They had no blankets with them, and only her shirt wouldn't be enough material to cover them both. Only one option was left really, Fang nodded to herself. With that thought she got down on all fours, positioning the full of her body over Vanilles, and then laid down covering the smaller girls frame easily with her own, her head resting against the girls chest that slowly rose and fell with each breath.

Her body relaxed as she started to fall asleep, the last thing she heard was the sound of both their heartbeats as they beat in sync with the other.

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Vanille had awoken first the next morning, and upon discovering Fang still sleeping on top of her all but panicked. "Fang!" Said girl woke quickly from the outburst and the feel of tiny arms wrapping around her.

"Can't… breathe… Vanille…" Fang felt like she would die, but the grip was loosened. The both of them sat up, Fang more slowly than Vanille from the aches in every muscle. Fang heard the hiccup and knew all too well what it meant.

"I thought you were going to die, Fang!" She cried, and scolded Fang for being reckless and getting herself beat up.

Fang couldn't help but giggle as she ranted on, it at least meant the girl was in good spirits and was not seriously injured.

"Vanille." Upon hearing her name she grew silent and looked up to Fangs face. She smiled down at her. "I do love to know that you're well enough to throw a fuss at me, however.." She motioned her head towards her battered arm. "I really think we should finish collecting those herbs and get back to Oerba to get treated fully."

"We should just go straight to Oerba then and…" Fang shook her head and cut her off.

"If we don't collect the herbs, Shaman won't have anything to make the medicines with to treat me anyway. So let's go finish our mission, k?" Vanille sighed and nodded in agreement.

"Ok, but you have to take it easy!" Fang hummed and nodded.

It took several hours, and a couple times of watching Vanille fall from a tree, before they finally collected everything on the list. "That's the last one." Vanille noted and put the list away. "Let's go home now."

"That sounds good to me." Vanille carried both their satchels, each overflowing with various herbs. They knew the area well enough, and soon enough found their way to the village. Vanille ushered Fang to the Shaman where she received immediate treatment. Fang grinned to herself as she held her arm up to inspect the scarring gashes. "My first battle scars, hehe."

Vanille looked up to Fang, she felt guilty, whether the incident was her fault or not, she felt she should have been able to do more. She wrapped her arms around Fangs left arm, clinging to it as they continued back to the orphanage. "Don't worry about it, Vanille. We'll both get stronger, together, k?" She nodded against her arm. Fang brought her right hand up and ruffled Vanilles already messy hair. "I'll have to find my lance once I get my strength back, I'm sure it's too heavy to have gone too far down river. You'll help me when I do?"

Vanille peered up at Fangs eyes and offered a small smile "Of course."

The rest of the day was spent being scolded by the Matron, doing small chores and helping the kids with their activities. In the end they were both beat, going straight to bed after a thorough bath and a full meal.

Vanille insisted that Fang sleep with her, and so that night they slept peacefully in each others arms. They both felt a stronger bond to the other after their ordeal, to Fang it was a confusing mass of emotions, and to Vanille is was more of a small spark in her younger mind that she still couldn't quite understand, but they both indeed felt something new.

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_Another Author's Note: OK, wow that was like 5x longer than I thought it was going to be, but I just kept typing whatever came to mind so ya, lol, hope it was worth the long read. XD_


	3. Our First Kiss

**Our First Kiss…**

_Author's Note: 2 ½ years after Chapter 2. Fang is 17-18, Vanille 16. Nira, age 20, is random OC I made up for this. Also, I have really no idea how exactly the terrain is around Oerba, so expect this to be inconsistent to the actual game. Anywho continuing on…_

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Vanille watched from the top bunk of the bed as Fang was prepping herself to go out, her feet swinging behind her from her laying position.

Fang had been accepted as an adult in Oerba nearly a year ago at 17, after slaying and skinning a large, rare wolf beast. Since then she'd taken to doing what she called "adult" things, to which Vanille would feel left out when Fang would say she couldn't tag along. Fang had been dating people off and on as well, nothing ever got serious, as she put it, and that she was just "testing things out". Vanille had no idea what she meant by that, but she also didn't want to know. She did however wish Fang would pay her more attention again like she used to.

Finishing adjusting her sari and the skins on her belt, Fang looked up to Vanille to see an all too familiar scowling expression. "What's that look for? I told you I was going out tonight with Nira." Vanille merely turned her back to Fang, the taller girl putting a hand on her hip and sighed. "We'll hang out tomorrow, I promise, k? Nira will be out on a hunt so my whole day will be free." Again silence was her reply. The Matron could be heard calling Fangs name from down the hall that a guest was there for her. "I'll see you later, Vanille."

Vanille could here the soft and excited voice of Nira as she greeted Fang outside, and soon enough their voices could no longer be heard. She could feel her eyes burn at the water forming in them. She hated that Fang would all but ignore her now, they hardly hung out, as Fang was either with Nira, hunting or doing her "adult" things. She clenched her eyes shut to keep her angry tears from falling.

Relaxing a few minutes to clear her head, then she set about to help the Matron with the chores around the orphanage, anything to get her mind off the day.

Meanwhile, Fang was laughing over what Nira had told her about, something about a lamb somehow getting on a chocobo at the stables, and said chocobo going crazy and giving the poor lamb the ride of its life. They walked hand in hand through the streets. Their plans for the day were to ride a chocobo about the fields and just enjoy the day together.

Upon arriving at the stables Fang noticed a single sheep that stood far from the chocobos, and couldn't help but chuckle. She approached the animal and patted its soft fur. "Poor guy, haha. There, there now." The sheep shied away from her and off to another far corner.

"Fang." Nira called as she had already secured a chocobo for them and sat atop the large bird. "Leave the poor thing alone and let's get going." Fang nodded and bounded up to the bird, heaving herself up to sit behind her girlfriend. A gentle nudge in its sides sent the bird jetting out of town and towards open plains.

Fang felt bad for ditching Vanille so much, but every time she was near the girl lately she'd keep getting this feeling, and it made her sick to her stomach. She couldn't explain it, and hated it, so she just avoided her when she could. She could plainly see it was hurting Vanille. 'I've got to figure out what my problem is…' was her last thought as Oerba left her field of view.

Back at the orphanage, Vanille was cleaning some dishes in the sink. The image of Niras face with her long, wavy brown hair and her blue eyes appeared on a plate, causing the girl to scrub at the dinnerware a bit harder than necessary. So hard in fact, that she broke the plate, earning herself a small cut on the tip of her right middle finger. Abruptly ending her anger infused cleaning to tend to her finger.

The Matron had heard the shatter and came rushing to the scene. "Oh Vanille, are you alright dear?" She insisted to let her examine the wound. "It's not too bad, be sure to clean it and then bandage it, okay?" Vanille nodded, her head low as she went towards the nearest bathroom.

She did as the Matron said to, and after she finished tying the bandage she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, eyes puffy and hair becoming a mess from the manual labor. 'Why is it so hard for me to just not think about her?! I don't want to be in her way, but… I don't like not being able to see her like before…' Her mind was wracked with so many thoughts that she just couldn't keep up with them all.

She shook her head to clear her mind a little, 'I still have chores to finish.' With that thought in mind, she returned to the kitchen to help the Matron begin dinner preparations.

Out in the fields, Fang and Nira sat next to each other by a cliff overlooking the river. The sun had just started to set, turning the sky into an array of oranges and reds. Nira rest her head against Fangs shoulder, causing the taller girl to glance at her face. "Something wrong, Nira? You're not tired are you?"

"No, not at all." The older girl placed a kiss on her cheek before sitting up straight to stretch. "Hey Fang. How about joining me and the other hunters tomorrow? They want to take down a small Behemoth, so it should be a lot of fun." She had a pleading expression.

"Ah… well, I would you see, but I already kind of promised Vanille that we'd hang out tomorrow."

Nira exhaled a loud breath, "Vanille Vanille Vanille. You know, you really talk about her a lot. You should just marry the girl or something." Her blue eyes rolled in annoyance.

"What?! I couldn't marry her, she's my best friend." Fang knitted her brows together as her thoughts went rampant. Nira watched as different expressions played across the teens face. She sighed softly and leaned back on her hands.

"Really Fang? Who are you trying to convince, you or me?"

Fang felt lost all the sudden, she had never really considered even dating Vanille, 'best friends don't date each other… right?'

Nira was only 20, but she was mature enough to see what was going on, and suddenly her relationship with Fang felt slightly awkward. "Look, Fang hun. Let's just be friends, alright?"

"Huh?" Fang felt dumbfounded, 'did I just get dumped?!' Her mouth hung open slightly.

"I just think you should really take some time to think some things out, it doesn't feel right to be dating you right now." She cupped a hand gently against Fangs cheek and offered a soft smile. "We should get back to Oerba, it will be getting dark soon."

Fang took a few minutes to collect herself, 'so that's it then?… here I thought I'd feel a lot worse…' The ride back to the village was a silent one. Arriving back at the stables, Fang saw the sheep from before was still distancing itself from the chocobo. Nira returned the chocobo to the stable and turned to face Fang. "It was fun, Fang." She gave her a hug and started to walk off towards her home. "Oh!" She turned a moment to face her again. "You really should think about what we talked about earlier, Vanilles turning into quite the looker." With a wink she walked off, leaving Fang in the stables with only her thoughts.

Fang was still surprised she'd been dumped, after 3 months of being together, and it all ended in an instant. She sighed and scratched the back of her head. Her eyes caught sight of the solo sheep and chuckled softly. She approached it and sat next to it, a hand petting its soft head as she looked up to the starry sky, her thoughts immediately going to Vanille. "I guess I have a lot to think about.." she spoke to no one in particular, but the sheep rest its head on her lap.

Vanille had accomplished plenty that day, cleaning and prepping dinner aside, she also helped patch a few weak spots in the roof. Her final task for the day was returning a lost sheep to the stables. She opened the gate and herded the creature in, then knelt down and gave its soft fluffy body a hug. "Don't you wander off again now, okay? Your family will miss you." The sheep bleated and walked towards a far corner of the pin.

Vanille watched as the sheep bounded up to a lamb that was sleeping, 'on a persons lap?' The lamb awoke and moved along with its mother. Vanille crept closer to the person sitting on the ground, her hands clasped behind her back. Their figure was hidden in the shadow of a building from the low full moons light. "Hello?" She asked softly, but got no reply.

Her eyes narrowed as she got close enough to make out the face, "Fang?" She felt angry suddenly, and would have kicked the sleeping girl, but Fang talking in her sleep caught her attention.

"Vanille…" Said girl jumped up from her bent over position upon hearing her own name, only to find that Fang was still sleeping. She sighed, her expression softening.

"Well, I can't very well leave you to sleep out here alone, I guess." Vanille brought a blanket out from the barn. She sat herself next to Fang, draping the blanket over the both of them. A silent hum emitted from Fangs throat at the warmth as Vanille laid against her. 'Tomorrow is her birthday after all.. I suppose it won't be so bad to be nice this once.' She adjusted herself til she was comfortable, and soon enough drifted off to sleep next to Fang under the star filled skies.

* * *

The next morning at first light, Fang was the first to wake. She yawned, stretching slightly, then rubbing her eyes to bring the world to focus, 'my bed feels different.' Upon reopening her eyes, all she could see was someone's stomach until she traced her eyes up and saw Vanilles face, she could feel her heart sink to her stomach. Somehow throughout the night, Fang had ended up with her head in Vanilles lap. 'Why is Vanille here? And, why haven't I moved yet?!'

Fang could feel her breath getting stuck in her throat as she continued to watch Vanille sleep, the rising sun almost making her hair look ablaze. It was a perspective she'd never seen the girl in, and something about it took her breath away. Her thoughts however were cut short when she noticed Vanilles eyes start to flutter open, wincing at the searing sunlight for a moment. Fang made to get up, but felt a small hand stroking through her hair. Vanille looked down at her, a soft sweet smile on her face.

"Happy Birthday, Fang." Her voice, softer than usual, and completely devoid of the anger she felt for the older girl just the other day. Fang blushed slightly, she'd completely forgotten today was her own birthday.

"Thank you, Vanille…" She watched as Vanille tilted her head to the side slightly.

"What would you like for your birthday present?" Her hand hadn't left Fangs head still, and the older girl looked as though she was falling back to sleep as she thought. "You better not ask for that new lance! You know it's far too expensive." She giggled at the little pout that Fang made.

There it was again, that weird feeling in her stomach. Her breathing sped a little as her mind thought about a million things at once, until her lips started moving on their own. "I…"

"Hmm?" Vanille tilted her head to the other side, confused by Fangs hesitation, and for some reason, she was beginning to feel anxious.

"I want…" Fang finally reopened her eyes to stare up and into Vanilles green ones. "…to kiss you,.. Vanille." 'what the hell am I saying?!?'

Vanilles eyes widened, her lips parting slightly from shock. Fang was starting to feel like she'd asked the girl to do something she shouldn't have, she didn't even know how Vanille felt about her, and even her own feelings weren't clear. She decided she'd finally sit up, scratching her head as she did so, feeling slightly awkward now. Vanilles eyes were closed now, as if in deep thought, finally her features softening again as they reopened.

Vanille made the first move, and leaned closer to Fangs face. 'She's really going to do?!' Fang swallowed hard at the lump in throat as Vanilles face slowly inched closer. The suspense finally getting the better of her, as she finished closing the distance between them. Their lips met awkwardly in a nervous first kiss. Fang felt like her stomach was exploding with butterflies now, along with an overwhelming feeling of warmth spreading through her body. Vanille felt much the same, but relaxed when she felt Fang wrapping her arms around her, pulling her into a gentle embrace.

They stayed like that for a while, finally breaking apart when they needed to breath, both with flushed faces. Vanille felt shy suddenly and buried her face into Fangs chest, to which Fang chuckled and stroked the back of the girls head. "It wasn't that bad was it?" Vanilles ears were burning now as she shook her head. "Sorry, I guess it was pretty sudden to ask you to do something like that."

Fang felt as the knotting feeling in her stomach faded and was able to take a deep breath. She pulled Vanille away from herself and stared at the face melting red blush that covered the girls face. "You know, your face is going to melt if you keep blushing like that."

Vanille opened her eyes and sheepishly looked up to Fang, but the mood shattered when a thought crossed her mind and she shoved Fang away, causing the older girl to land on her rear. Fang was taken by surprise from the sudden change. "Something wrong?"

"Fang, you idiot! You have a girlfriend, what am I going to do when she finds out what we just did?" Fangs eyes were wide open and softened again with a laugh escaping her throat. She looked off towards the horizon to her side.

"Actually… she dumped me." Fang chuckled again. Vanille could only gawk at her.

"Why would she do that?" Her interest had been peaked now.

"Well… she said I always seemed distracted, pretty much, because I'd always be talking about you in one way or another. So she said I should really think my feelings out." Fangs eyes lowered a bit in shame from her next wave of thought. "I kept avoiding you lately, because every time we were around each other, I'd start feeling anxious, or nervous, sometimes even.. weak. I hate feeling like that, so avoiding you was the only solution I could come up with. To realize I felt that way because I was actually interested in you, was shocking but it also made sense." She stood up on her feet and looked down at Vanille. "I'm sorry if I'm being selfish, asking you to suddenly do something like kiss me."

Vanille listened to Fang carefully as she spilled her heart, slowly taking everything in. She had always hoped Fang would notice her in this way, but never voiced her feelings herself because she didn't want to risk the friendship they'd built over the years. So to have Fang saying these things to her, made her heart flutter. She smiled softly up to Fang, and taking the taller girl by surprise by placing another kiss on her lips to silence her continuous ramble. It wasn't more than a quick peck, but it was effective. "You know, if I didn't want to kiss you, I wouldn't have done it to begin with."

Fang smiled and nodded, the smile turning into a grin. "You know, your tongue is really soft." Vanilles face instantly became bright red again.

"Fang!" She squeaked, no other words were said but she gave Fang a good smack on the arm. With that she began stomping off, totally embarrassed.

"Aw come on Vanille!" Fang called after her and ran to catch up. "It's just a fact."

"It's not a fact you should share out loud." Vanilles hands were covering her own cheeks, trying to rid herself of the burning sensation. Fang caught up and walked next to her. She stole Vanilles left hand and held it in her own.

Fang wanted to lighten the mood. "So… what did you do yesterday?"

Vanille glared at her for a moment before softening her features and huffing. "Cleaning, cooking and roof repairs." Then she held up her right hand to Fang, unintentionally flicking her off with her injured middle finger. Fangs eyes widened.

"Goodness Vanille, you are very forward aren't you? I mean,… what happened to your finger?" It took a moment for what Fang meant to sink into her head, and once it did she started batting at Fangs head furiously.

"Fang you idiot! You pervert! How can you say something like that?!" Fang decided to run away, trying to retreat from the furious girl. She chased her clear back to the orphanage where Fang finally let the girl catch her, and took the beating she deserved.

Later that day, as everyone in the orphanage sat at the table for dinner, many had questioned the bruises and swelling on Fangs face, to which she would reply, "Vanilla beans are very dangerous when provoked", which of course earned some odd stares at what she meant.

Later that evening, back in their room. "Vanilla beans? Really Fang, what kind of name is that?" Fang laughed at her and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry. But I'm sure that was far more appropriate than just saying that, Vanille is dangerous when flirted with." Vanille pinched Fangs arm. "Ow! You are so abusive. There won't be much left of me if you keep this up." She made fake tears in her eyes and pouted at the shorter girl.

"It's called righteous punishment. You get what you deserve." She moved out of Fangs embrace to ready herself for bed. Fang sighed and did the same.

When Vanille offered Fang a place on her bed, Fang actually felt hesitant for a moment. Them sleeping together was a whole new concept now, not just friends sharing their warmth or to comfort the other, but as girlfriends. Pushing her silly thoughts aside, she climbed under the blanket with Vanille. They shared a tender kiss before settling in, Fang wrapping an arm around Vanilles body, while Vanille nuzzled her face against Fangs neck. Both slipping happily into sleeps spell.

* * *

_Author's Note: Apparently I have a thing for ending each chapter with them sleeping… HAHA, wups? Sorry if this one seemed a bit rushed, consider it more of a filler chapter really. R&R is 3_


	4. Our First Separation

**Our First Seperation…**

_**Rated: R**__ (for blood, little gore and suggestive sexual situations)_

_**__**PLEASE READ**__** Author's Note: First off, I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to finish. I also want to say that this chapter contains things that some readers may find disturbing, so I do apologize if it grosses anyone out, use discretion etc etc.. This chapter is 1 year and some months after Chapter 3. Also, I named an alcoholic drink, Moogle bomb, just think of it being something like a Jägerbomb._

* * *

_**Monday**_

Vanille was at the stables helping to tend the chocobos and sheep's when Fang and several other hunters made their return to the village after a long days work in the fields. Each of them were hauling either meat, bone or hide from their quarry, which, judging by the quantity and color of the hide, Vanille guessed it was Behemoth. She waved and smiled as they approached the stables. A sudden pang of jealousy hit her when she saw Nira was with them, and chatting with Fang no less. Her scowl didn't go unnoticed and both of the older women chuckled at the sight.

Nira was glad that the two girls had finally hooked up, even she herself had a new love interest now. "Fang, your girl is starring so hard at us, I'm afraid we may catch fire if she keeps that up."

"She is getting pretty good with magics." Fang laughed and tossed a sweat smile at Vanille, which earned her a huff and the view of the girls back as she went back to tending a small lamb. She chuckled to herself and helped to store away their items, everyone would eat well for the next few weeks at least.

Fang returned to the stables to find Vanille. She caught sight of her standing next to an adult chocobo, which was easily twice her height, her hands giving its side and chest a massage. The lucky creature looked to be in bliss, and Vanilles previous scowl was replaced with serenity. Fang, with a smile on her face, quietly snuck up behind the girl, gently wrapping her arms around her abdomen to pull her into a tight hug.

Vanille squeaked in surprise, and had planned on resisting to make a fuss at Fang for earlier, but the embrace was far too welcoming to break. Instead she opted to lean herself back into Fang, her eyes closing. "I missed you today."

"Missed me? All I'm good for is making you angry." Fang laughed when she received a pinch to the arm. "Pinching isn't nice you know."

Vanille shook her head. "I did miss you, it's so boring when you're not around. Then seeing you with Nira just…" Fang placed a finger gently against her lips to silence her. Then moving to make Vanille face her, holding either arm in her hands at arms length.

"Vanille, Nira has someone dear in her life now, in fact that's all she talked about during the entire hunt. I want you to understand, I no longer have feelings towards her. Nor will I ever again. So long as I'm with you, there is no other for me… What's with that face?"

Vanille had tears in her eyes, she hadn't noticed them herself and shoved her face into Fangs chest. "You ok?" She stroked her head with one hand while the other stroked her back, trying to sooth her.

"I'm fine." Her voice crackled slightly as she spoke. She lifted her head to stare Fang in the eyes. "You really feel that way towards me?"

Fang smiled softly at her, a faint blush claiming her own face. "Of course I do. I love you, Vanille, with every fiber of my being." Vanilles face instantly became flushed and would have buried herself back into Fangs chest had it not of been for the hand lifting her chin up. Sure they'd kissed a lot over the course of their relationship thus far, but this felt so much more romantic to Vanille than any moment before. Her lids slid shut as their lips met in a tender kiss.

The short moment felt like an eternity, and Vanille could feel Fang was becoming anxious. The shaking of the hands that grasped at her hips, the way their kiss had turned into a heated exchange of tongues rolling over each other. Even she felt the intensity and had it of gone farther she would not have denied Fang anything. But, it all ended nearly as quickly as it began as Fang broke away, turning her face to the side. Both clearly out of breath.

"Fang…" Vanille managed to huff her name between breaths.

Fang shook her head, her breathing nearly back to a normal rhythm. "No, I'm sticking to what I said.. Not until after your hunt. I just feel that's the right thing to do."

Vanille giggled to herself and placed a kiss on Fangs cheek. "I know, and thank you. Your stubbornness amazes me though." She hugged Fang tighter, 'that's right', Vanille remembered that within mere days, she would embark on her solo hunt to gain passage into adulthood. If she was lucky it would take no more than a week, but it had been known to take months for some. Entirely alone in the wild, only having her own skills and wits to rely on.

Fang could feel how Vanilles mood shifted, she knew the girl was nervous about her hunt, because she'd experienced the same trial herself. Fang had been very lucky on her hunt, as the wolf she had slain was actually hunting her after only two days from her departure of Oerba. It had ambushed her, but she came out as the victor in the end.

She knew there were no words she could offer to help Vanille prepare, and to offer to help the girl would have been highly offensive. It would almost be as if Fang was calling Vanille too weak for the task, when she knew well enough the she, while small and frail looking, was actually quite strong and could do anything she set her mind to. So instead of trying to say things that wouldn't matter, she chose to hold Vanille, and support her while they still had time.

It took several minutes for Vanille to realize that they were still standing in the stables and that it was already dark out. She gently pulled herself from Fangs embrace, wiping the tears in her eyes away and shivering at the sudden chill in the air. "I'm sorry, I didn't notice how late it was."

Fang gave her a sympathetic smile and patted her head. "Don't apologize. I'm here for you when you need me, no matter what." The mid-fall weather didn't go unnoticed to Fang. "We should get back to the orphanage, don't want an ear full from Matron." Vanille nodded. They walked closely together, Fang with an arm wrapped around Vanilles shoulders and she with one around Fangs waist.

A late meal was shared between the two and then they retired to bed shortly after. Vanille would have restless nights for the next few days, her hunt weighing heavily on her mind. Fang would do what she could to comfort her.

* * *

_**Friday**_

The day had finally arrived for Vanille to leave Oerba and make a successful hunt, alone. The girl was awake before even the sun shared it's light. Carefully packing everything she should need on her venture. She felt calm in comparison to the previous days leading up to this one, a sense of determination set clearly in her mind. She made her way to the kitchen to prepare small snacks that, if consumed sparingly, would last her several days at least, saving her the trouble of hunting and gathering food.

Fang woke when the sun shared its first rays of light into her eyes. A low groan escaping her throat. She stretched her arms, one reaching over to Vanilles side of the bed. She felt awake immediately upon noticing that she was not there. "Vanille?!" 'She wouldn't leave without waking me, right?!' Fang rushed out of the bedroom clothed in nothing but her black undergarments. She checked the bathrooms first, and then to the foyer. She caught the scent of cooking food and hurried to the kitchen, a deep sigh of relief calmed her from the sight of Vanille prepping food.

Vanille jumped and squeaked slightly from the feel of arms suddenly wrapping around her waist. "Found you."

"Fang! Don't sneak up on me like that…. Ah! It's ruined…." Vanille held up the sandwich she was making, a mound of salt poured over the mayonnaise on one piece. She chucked it into the garbage with a sigh.

"Hey! I could have eaten that, it looked perfectly fine to me."

"Fang, that's disgusting, eating that much salt can't be good for you." Fang chuckled and nuzzled Vanilles head. While she didn't mind the distraction, having Fang clinging to her this way was making it difficult to finish making her foods. The older girl could tell she was in the way so after placing a gentle kiss atop Vanilles head she released her hold and stepped to the side to watch. Vanille tossed a glance at her. "Fang! You're half naked you know."

"Yes, I'm aware of that fact. I actually thought you left without waking me, so I kind of skipped the dressing part so I could find you." Vanille had packed the last of her food items then turned to Fang, hands on her hips.

"And what would you have done if I had left, chase me through the streets like that?" She raised an eyebrow.

Fang scratched the back of her head, shrugging it off with a chuckle, causing Vanille to sigh. "So uh, how's your packing coming along?" Vanille placed a finger under her chin as she ran through the checklist in her head, humming as she did so.

"Hmm. I should have everything set now. Just need to get it all together in one place." Fang nodded and headed towards the hallway.

"I'll be right back Vanille." She watched Fangs back disappear behind a corner, her head tilted to the side slightly. She picked up the small satchel that was now filled with her food and brought it to the foyer, carefully packing it into the larger bag that held everything else. She double checked everything, nothing was out of place. She strapped her old Bind Rod to her belt and leaned against the wall, waiting for Fang to return.

It wasn't a minute later that the older girl came back with a large box in hand, which Vanille eyed curiously. "Here, consider it an early birthday present." She set the box on the ground in front of Vanille.

"You really didn't have to get me anything you know." She bent down to start picking at the ropes that held it shut.

"I figured you'd say that. But I think you'll find it useful on your hunt." Fang waited in anticipation while Vanille plucked off the last few ropes. She could see how the girls hands stopped mid motion, fingers twitching slightly when she finally saw what was inside, her green eyes wide with awe.

"Fang… This is…" Vanille was blown away by the white bind rod that rest in the box. Carefully reaching in and pulling it out, it was a bit heavier than her old one, but light enough to wield. It was folded into a compact form, which only took her a moment to figure out how to open it. The tanned leather straps that wrapped the handle felt smooth under hand, and the white finish with four gold tipped hooks amazed her. She had no words to express her gratitude, sure she'd known her old one was worn and probably wouldn't last much longer, but to receive one of this caliber was unexpected.

Vanille finally shook out of her daze and stood up to look Fang in the face. "How in the world did you afford something like this?"

Fang grinned at her. "I've been saving up for a while. Hunts can bring a good income you know. I knew you needed a new one, and I wouldn't have felt okay with letting you leave with a weapon that may break while you're out there on your own. You do like it I hope?" She could see the water building in Vanilles emerald eyes.

Vanille all but leapt at Fang, hugging the taller girl tightly. "I love it. Thank you." Fang smiled softly, returning the embrace.

They could have stood there all day just holding each other, but the sound of the clock striking 9am broke the moment. It was time for her to go, waiting later would mean less day light to travel by. Vanille slowly backed out of the embrace and swapped her old rod for the new one, leaving the old one with Fang. She heaved her large bag onto her back, it was indeed heavy, but not so much that she couldn't handle it.

"It's time Fang." Vanille felt anxious, but a firm squeeze by Fang on her shoulder eased her mind and she smiled at the taller girl. Fang handed Vanille a thick coat.

"Don't forget that, it's going to be getting colder soon." Vanille nodded and rolled the furry leather, then had Fang tie it to the top of her backpack.

Fang escorted Vanille to the edge of Oerba, pulling the girl into a tight hug, which was returned in kind. Vanille stood on her toes to plant a firm, final kiss on Fangs lips, savoring the feel and taste. Then after pulling away, both shared a smile.

"See you later, Fang."

"Mm. Have a safe trip. I'll be waiting for you." Fang gently gripped her arm, a faint blush on her face. "I love you, Vanille." A blush rose to her cheeks as well.

"I love you too, Fang." Vanille started slowly walking away backwards, her hand trailing down Fangs arm until finally their fingers slipped away from each other. A last smile, and Vanille turned, walking strongly into the wild, alone.

Fang continued to watch until she could no longer see her. A sigh escaped her lips as she stretched. "Well, guess I have my own work to do while your gone." Fang chuckled to herself, she indeed had many things to do, only hoping that they would be finished in time for the girls return. One final look to the horizon that Vanille vanished into before turning away to set about doing her own tasks.

* * *

_**3 Months later**_

Fang hissed as a needle repeatedly stabbed into her arm, black ink staining deeply into her skin. She had been debating on getting a tattoo for a while now, and had finally decided on a design and went for it. It hadn't hurt too bad at first, but after sitting under the needle for over 2 hours now, the pain was becoming more intense.

"Hang in there a bit longer Fang, we're just about finished." Fang nodded, her eyes closing to calm herself. Her thoughts drifted to Vanille and the pain was forgotten. To say the least, she was worried about her, but she kept her thoughts positive, she knew she'd come back alright.

Another fifteen minutes went by and finally the tattoo was done. "There we go, all finished." The man gently wiped the area clean of any stray ink or blood. Fang looked it over in a mirror.

"Looks great, thanks Jin." He nodded and taped a white gauze over it.

"Keep that on there fer a day or two and make sure to keep it clean. It's going to swell pretty good and scab a bit, but it'll clear up within days." Fang nodded and paid her fee. "You goin' to work on that project o' yours again today?"

"Yes, I'll be going straight there." She made her way to the door.

"Present for your girlfriend, Vanille, was it?"

"You could say that."

"Heard she been gone on her hunt fer a good while now, you reckon she fairing well out there?" Fangs stopped in the doorway, turning her head to the side to respond.

"She may be small and look frail, but she's got a strong will and good head on her shoulders, I have faith in her." With that she bid him farewell and was on her way.

* * *

Vanille climbed over a large fallen tree, the extra weight from her pack causing a heavier thud on landing than she'd like. It had taken nearly three months to find the target she'd been looking for and has been trailing her prey for over a week now, but it was always a step ahead of her. The tracks were getting fresher every day so it was only a matter of time. Time however was running out as the season was changing fast, she knew her target would soon go into hibernation and its trail would be lost.

The tracks today looked particularly fresh and oddly erratic as it changed directions constantly. A few more yards and she emerged from the forest into an open field with mountains towering high to her right. She lowered herself to the ground as she caught sight of movement by some boulders in the distance. She set her belongings down into a pile by the tree line and pulled out a small pair of binoculars, adjusting the sight until the creature was in focus, a sense of excitement rushed over her.

"There you are" she whispered to herself. She eyed the large brown bear, it was actually bigger than she'd thought it would be, probably a good 18-20 feet from nose to rear, definitely a behemoth of a bear. She put away the binoculars and pulled out a carving knife, attaching its case to her belt and latching it in. "I can do this." She thought of Fang for a brief moment whilst psyching herself up, then began to slowly approach it.

Lucky for her, its head was down, digging at a hole in the ground for some prey. She grasped the handle of her bind rod, releasing it from its holster and flicking it to its full length. She managed to get within about 40 yards of the bear, then her luck ran out as the wind changed directions. Indeed the bear immediately caught a whiff of her scent and its head snapped up from the hole, its dark eyes glaring at her.

She stood still, gathering her thoughts for the brief moment she had before the bear made a charge at her, it was obviously intent on making her an easy meal. The distance between them was closing fast and Vanille jumped into action. She cast her rods lines at it, but they were evaded and the lines recoiled back to their default position. It was at 13 yards now and made a dead stop, rising up on its hind legs to display its full height, towering above her, and roared, but she did not back down.

She gave the bind rod a second shot, but this time its massive arms deflected the lines, again they retracted. She huffed and decided on a different approach.

"Fire!" She tossed a handful of firecrackers from her satchel to one side, her spell setting them ablaze and into a flurry of ear piercing explosions. It was enough to distract it for a split second, but it was all she needed. She hurled her lines at it once again, this time all four made contact, each wrapping tightly around the bear, hooks digging into flesh. One tying the legs together, and another on the arms, the third squeezed its torso while the fourth tightly kept its mouth closed.

It struggled for a moment, but the lines were strong and cut into it more deeply with every movement. She didn't want to drag this out and make it painful, so she pulled the lines taught and with a strong tug the bear came down with a heavy thud. It whined in pain, Vanille felt a brief pang of guilt, but shoved the feeling aside. She had to do this. Cautiously she approached it, stopping by its massive head.

"I'm sorry." She held her hand out over it. "Death!" There was a flash of blackness, a snap and then silence. Effectively putting it out of its misery in an instant. Her feeling of accomplishment was flooded by the tears that ran down her face as she knelt down hugged the beast.

"I'm so sorry. I thank you. Your death will not be in vain." She was not happy to have the ability of Death, her current skill also required it be delivered at point blank to have any effect, which was not always successful.

She took a moment to calm herself, wiping the tears from her face as she set about to gutting the animal. Fang had taught her the process before, but actually performing it herself was difficult and took all she had to keep focus.

It took a while, but it was finally done. All of the entrails had been discarded, leaving nothing but hide, meat and bone. She wiped the sweat off her brow, looking back in the direction that would take her home. "At least this cold will keep its meat fresh until I get back to Oerba." There were flakes of snow flitting about now, and it was beginning to get dark.

With the aide of a wind spell, she hauled the carcass into the forest and located a spot to make camp for the evening. At first light she would begin her trek back home. "Hmm, with all the zigzagging I did to get out here… it should only take a week if I make a straight shot back." She examined her small map which she'd constantly updated with her position. She nodded to herself about her next course of action, then set up a fire to warm her camp.

Vanille helped herself to some meat from her quarry, it was a bit tough and had no seasonings, but it was edible and would provide vital energy.

The snow was coming down harder now. Vanille pulled her coat and blanket tightly around her, combined with the flame, she was kept warm well enough. "Fang…" was her final thought before falling into sleep.

* * *

_**8 days later**_

Fang was awake early today, as she had promised to help tend the stables. It wasn't exactly her job of choice, but it helped keep her mind busy, which recently was becoming more troubled over Vanille's long absence.

She set down a small bale of hay and feed, then backed away as the hungry animals rushed in. She shivered at the biting breeze that rushed past her skin, she had chosen not to wear a coat out this morning, 'great idea.'

She was about to set about her next task of cleaning the stalls when she'd heard a horn blowing, it was a sound she knew well. A custom of Oerbas was for the watchmen to signal the return of someone from their hunt with the horn of a Behemoth, it emitted a unique sound, deep, but smooth.

Fang made a bolt for the main entrance, ignoring the stinging cold. As she rounded the last building in her way she could see a small gathering of people already building up, all anxious to welcome the hunter home. None however were expecting the site they saw. As Fang excused herself past the others, stopping at the amazing spectacle.

Vanille took her final steps into the village, her clothes partially ripped in some places, dirt and dried blood splotched all over. She looked utterly exhausted as she was heaving for air, her mana completely tapped from using the wind spell to help the haul, and more amazing than anything was the beast of a bear that now rest on the ground behind her.

Had she of had the breath or energy she would have leapt into Fangs arms, but found all she could do was stand hunched over, hands resting on her knees as she struggled to keep herself upright, even a smile was hard to manage.

Fang calmly approached her, gently grasping her shoulders to help the girl stand straight. Her eyes giving her a quick examination, thankful that none of the blood on her body was her own. She wanted to keep her cool in front of all these people, but her emotions won out. She pulled Vanille into a tight hug, even her pride couldn't hold back the tears in her eyes as she was just too happy to have Vanille back home.

"I was really worried about you, you know." Vanille clutched at Fangs clothes, she could only manage a nod in reply, tears easily flowing from her own eyes. "I can't believe you killed a fucking bear, of all things to pick, and at this time of year." Vanille wanted to reply, but was having a hard time keeping her eyes open, the warmth emitting from Fang was all too comfortable.

"Vanille?" She'd passed out in her arms. The Shaman was close by and gave Vanille a quick look over, checking her vitals.

"Mm. Seems to be just exhaustion, it looks like she hasn't slept for a day or two. Her mana is completely spent as well, so an elixir when she wakes should do the trick."

Fang looked down at the girl worried and nodded at the Shamans directions. "I'm going to take her home now, and get her warmed up." She picked the girl up bridal style and carried her home. A few other villagers took care of the bears carcass, skinning it and carving the meat up. Tonight, Oerba would throw a party with a feast in honor of Vanilles successful hunt.

Fang got them home within minutes and opened the bedroom door. She was about to set Vanille onto the bed when the girl stirred and awoke in her arms. Her eyes were droopy and a little bloodshot. Vanille reached a hand up and cupped Fangs face. "Am I dreaming?" Fang smiled warmly at her.

"If you are, I hope you don't wake up, because I don't want you leaving my side again." Vanille giggle softly, and pinched Fangs cheek, slightly stretching her face out, then released it a moment later, to which Fang chuckled at. She went to lay her down again but Vanille stopped her.

"Wait! I'm filthy, I'll dirty up the… bed? Wait, where are we?" Vanille finally noticed that they weren't in their orphanage dorm but an actual bedroom with a large bed.

Fang chuckled and carried Vanille out into the living room. "This, would happen to be our new home. That is of course, if you think you can stand to live with someone like me."

"Huh?!" Vanille felt wide awake suddenly and had Fang put her on her feet, she wobbled a little so Fang kept a hand firmly on her shoulder. "Okay, so.. You got a house? For us?"

Fang scratched the back of her head. "Well, I actually built this place from the ground up, with a little help of course. I wanted to surprise you with it when you returned… It's not much, just this living space, the one bedroom and a bathroom. I hope you're not mad I did this without asking you first." She looked sheepishly at Vanille, the shorter girl just stared at her wide eyed.

Vanilles face softened and she hugged Fang. "I'm not mad, but I am a bit overwhelmed. It looks amazing, and you building it yourself is amazing."

Fang laughed. "Sorry, I guess it is a bit to take in right now." Vanille nodded and took to looking around the living area. "I'm going to go run you a warm bath, I love you, but you do reek something fierce." She gave the girl a grin and disappeared in the bathroom.

Vanille was left to sigh over the state she was in, but she knew it was true, she smelled and felt filthy. She noticed her boots were still on, she'd have to get new ones, as these were trashed. She slipped them off, hissing as they rubbed the blisters on her feet, then placed them by the door to be discarded later.

She was examining the cupboards when Fang came back into the room. "Bath's ready." Fang showed her to the bathroom and handed her a toothbrush. "Figured you'd want this as well." She took it gratefully and immediately went about brushing her teeth, ridding herself of any foul tastes.

"Ah, that's much better." She offered Fang a sleepy kiss which was returned in kind. She walked towards the tub and began to undress for her bath, then noticed how Fang was still standing in the open doorway, watching her. She tossed a scowl over her shoulder at the taller girl. "No peeking!"

Fang huffed and turned her back, holding her hands behind her head. "No fun at all." Vanille made sure she wasn't watching and finished undressing. Fang could hear her whimper while she was climbing into the hot water. "Not too hot is it?" She accidentally turned her head to the side and caught a glimpse of Vanilles rear, immediately turning back around to hide the blush on her face.

"No, it's fine. It just stings my feet a little." She let out a big sigh as her whole body submerged into the water. "Feels so good… I'd forgotten what a bath feels like. You can turn around now." She closed her eyes as she dunked her head under the water once, then sat back up and leaned against the tub.

Fang turned and leaned against the doorframe, eyes scanning Vanilles face. "I put some herbs in there that should help heal any scratches you may have gotten and should relax your muscles as well."

"Mm," Vanille hummed in reply.

"You want some soup or something? Or just want to wait until the ceremony tonight? Still got a good 4 hours until then."

"Thanks, but I think I'll wait. A nap sounds nice after this."

"Alright. Well, while you finish up in there, I'm going to go tidy up the place." There wasn't really anything to clean, but Fang couldn't keep standing there, watching her bathe. Vanille nodded and proceeded to clean herself.

Fang was relaxing on the sofa when Vanille came out, wearing nothing but a towel around her body. "Hey Fang, I don't suppose you have any of my clothes around, would you?" Fang peered out of one closed one, fighting hard to hide a grin as she stared at the half nude girl.

"Ya, I brought all your clothes here from the orphanage, they'll be in the bedroom closet, on the right side." She watched Vanilles back until she disappeared into the bedroom. This was driving her crazy, but she wasn't going to give in, 'not yet.'

Fang gave her a few minutes, then peeked into the bedroom. "You find them?" Vanille walked out of the closet now fully clothed.

"Mhm. It feels nice to have clean clothes on." Vanille plopped herself down onto the bed, eyeing Fang from her now horizontal position. She patted a spot next her. Fang looked thoughtful about the idea for a moment.

"Ah, one sec, I almost forgot." Vanille pouted as Fang went back to the living room, but she returned within seconds. "Here, drink this before you sleep at least." She handed her a vile of blue elixir. Vanille didn't really enjoy the things, but recovering her mana was vital, so she accepted and drank it down with a disgusted face, like a kid taking medicine that was bitter.

"Bleh, they could at least fix how these things taste." Fang chuckled and discarded the now empty vile. She then crawled herself onto the bed and was about to lay down next to Vanille when the girl screamed out.

"What the hell is that?!" Fang was looking around the room.

"Huh? What the hell is what?" Vanille poked her finger at Fangs shoulder, prodding the black mark.

"Ow, that would happen to still be sensitive, and it's just a tattoo." Vanille stopped poking at it and brought the arm close enough to examine the design.

"What made you want a tattoo?" Fang rested against her other arm against the bed while she thought about that, then shrugged.

"I just wanted one, and I liked the design. I did a lot of things to try and keep myself busy, because when I wasn't busy I was thinking about you and driving myself insane really." Vanille looked up at her, an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to be gone for so long but…" Fang silenced her with a finger on her lips.

"You're always so fast to go apologizing when you don't need to. I know you did your best, and all that matters now is that you're back home." She pulled Vanille down next to her and kissed away a single tear that had ran down the girls cheek.

Vanille nuzzled into Fangs neck and placed a firm kiss over the pulse there. "I'm glad to be back home, with you Fang. It was really lonely out there, but you were always in my thoughts, so I stayed strong." Her words were fading as sleep was lulling her in, her eyelids fluttering as she tried to fight it. "Fang…"

"Hmm?" She looked down to see Vanille had fallen asleep. A tender smile tugged on her lips, it was a relief to see her resting peacefully. She glanced to the clock, 'she'll get at least a 2 hour nap.' She set an alarm on the clock with her free hand, as Vanille was using her other arm as a pillow now. Fang relaxed next to her once that was done, wrapping her arm around her and pulling their bodies closer, then closed her eyes and soon found herself falling into sleep as well.

* * *

Fang awoke to the annoying buzz of the alarm clock, instantly silencing the machine. She wasn't expecting to actually fall asleep. Vanille was usually a light sleeper, but the alarm didn't make her budge. Fang almost felt guilty with the task of needing to wake the girl, but she couldn't let her miss her own ceremony.

"Vanille.." her voice came out soft but loud enough. She got no reaction even after calling her name out a few more times. She tried shaking her at the shoulder, causing the girl to groan in protest. "Alright then…" Fang moistened her lips and started kissing all over Vanilles face.

"Cut it out Fang… we can play later..." She still wasn't clearly awake, but she shoved a hand against Fangs face, pushing her away. Fang kept making the effort to wake her by poking and prodding her. Vanille finally got fed up with the antics and all but tackled Fang onto the bed, making the girls stomach into a seat, hands holding both arms down.

Fang was actually taken off guard by the move and was having a hard time recovering. Vanilles eyes were closing again and she head started to droop down as she started to fall asleep again. "Oh no you don't!" Fang took advantage and gently flipped Vanille, effectively switching their positions. "Sorry hun, but you have got to get up, one way or the other."

Vanille broke into an outburst of yelling and laughing when Fang started an onslaught of tickling. "Fang… stop… I'm up… already!" The tickling ceased and she caught her breath.

"Are you sure? Because I'd be happy to continue." Vanille struggled beneath her, which didn't help Fangs changing mood at all.

"No, please don't. I'm really awake, ok?" Fang had became oddly quiet so Vanille looked her in the face. "Fang?" It felt like her stomach became knotted from the way Fang was looking at her, almost like she was going to attack her at any moment.

Fang clenched her teeth, this was hard. She didn't know why so suddenly this feeling rose up in her, but it was proving difficult to get rid of it. She felt her body leaning forward without thinking. Her upper body now supported by her elbows that rest on either side of Vanille, their faces mere inches apart.

Vanille could feel Fangs breath on her face, she could also feel the heat rushing through her body. She could tell Fang was holding back, they both knew that right now wasn't a good time for this. The moment felt like waiting for a ticking bomb to explode, but there was no bomb, instead, the irritating sound of the alarm went off, effectively shaking them both out of their daze.

Fang shook her head, cursing loudly as she got up and turned off the alarm. She headed for the doorway with a hand scratching the back of her head. "Sorry, Vanille.. We should get going soon." Vanille watched as she disappeared into the bathroom and could here the faucet turn on, followed by the sound of splashing water. She felt a little disappointed but shook her thoughts and got up. They now only had a few minutes to make it to the central square for the final part in the process towards Vanilles adulthood, one she wasn't particularly looking forward to.

Fang gave her a new pair of boots that she'd gotten for her, she accepted them with glee. Neither could make eye contact with the other, for the moment they both felt a little awkward, but even so they still held hands as they rushed along the streets.

They were a few minutes late but no one seemed to mind. There was a large bonfire in the middle, and a table filled with different foods not far away. The Shaman came to great them. Vanille and Fang shared a quick smile before the old man escorted her to see the Elder. Fang followed loosely behind, watching as everyone around danced and mingled.

The Elder silenced the party to deliver a speech, one which Fang paid no attention too, because he said pretty much the same thing about everyone upon successfully completing their hunt.

Vanille felt a little nervous with everyone's eyes on her. Then finally when the Elder finished, Shaman approached her with a goblet, handing it to her slowly. This was the final act, the final step into adulthood, she hid her disgust as she looked at the red liquid within. It was the very blood that came from her own kill. She took a deep breath, and gulped it all down as quickly as she could. There was a lot of cheering from the crowd as she handed the empty goblet back to Shaman.

The Elder re-commenced the celebration and the loud music erupted back to life. Fang walked over to Vanille and patted the girls back. She could see the girl was fighting to keep down what she'd just drank.

"Here, try some of this, I remember it helped me when I had to do that." Vanille happily took it without asking what it was. She filled her mouth with it before gulping it all down. "That get the taste out at least?"

Vanille nodded. "Thank you. That was just vile."

Fang chuckled. "Yes, it's definitely not an enjoyable ceremony, but at least it's over now. How about we go get some food?"

"That sounds great, I'm starving." She went to walk towards the buffet, but was held back and then pulled against Fang. The taller girl placed a firm kiss on her lips which she returned in kind. It was a quick, almost innocent kiss, and shortly after the two made their way to the buffet.

A while later, Fang gawked at her girlfriend as she finally finished eating. She had never seen the girl eat so much food in one sitting. "Not hungry are we?" Vanille patted her full stomach with a pleased smile.

"Not anymore, I did say I was starving didn't I?" Fang chuckled.

The rest of the night wasn't too eventful, the two had chatted with their friends, danced together and just had a good time. Vanille had just picked up her third glass of alcohol when Fang found her, then promptly snatched the glass away from her. "No more alcohol for you Missy."

"Why not?! Not like I'm drunk." She tried to snatch to glass back, but Fangs height gave her an advantage. She was pressing the whole of her body against Fang, standing on her toes as she tried to reach the glass that was held above her head. "Come ooooon Fang." Vanille stumbled a little over her footing, causing one of her legs to press into Fangs crotch. This of course caught her off guard, she'd barely contained a grunt from the impact, but not enough to keep Vanille from hearing.

Vanille took advantage of the situation and snatched the glass back, quickly gulping down the contents. Fang sighed. "You're going to be piss drunk by the end of the night if you keep drinking at this rate, or sick, or both." Vanille set her glass down and came back to Fang, wrapping her arms around her neck and pulling them close together.

"I won't. I'm not going to drink anymore, those do taste pretty good though." Fangs arms were around her waist. Vanille was swaying to the slow song that was playing so she followed the girls movements, which were becoming a little uncoordinated.

"You drank three Moogle bombs over the past hour, I'm surprised you're not tumbling around in a stupor by now." Vanille just giggled into her chest, the effects of the alcohol were catching up to her as she stumbled more over the next few minutes. "Guess I spoke too soon."

Vanille felt fuzzy headed, like falling into a hazy dream. She heard her name and lazily tilted her head up towards Fangs voice, it sounded unclear. She didn't even notice herself grinning up at her girlfriend. She also didn't notice her body moving on its own until she had her lips mashed onto Fangs. Her surroundings forgotten, and the fact that people were staring as her tongue demanded entry into Fangs mouth.

Fang was taken off guard with Vanilles intoxicated actions, but allowed herself to indulge in the heated kiss that was offered to her. It didn't last long however, as she felt one of the girls legs sliding higher between her own, it was time to stop it. She gently shoved Vanille away at arms length, causing the shorter girl to emit a whining sound in her throat. Fang caught her breath a moment.

"Look Vanille, you're drunk, and we shouldn't be going that far, especially in public."

"I 'm not… drnk, and noooo ones.. watshing us." She slurred in protest, but Fang kept her firmly at arms length while shaking her head. She pouted and crossed her arms. "Fne, I dn't wan choo 'ave sex anway."

"Fine by me, I wouldn't have when you're drunk anyway." This was starting to get comical in Fangs mind. "Look, it's getting late, so how about we just head home." Vanille looked thoughtful. "I'll make some hot chocolate." The shorter girl smiled brightly with a nod.

Fang excused them both from the party and they made their way back to their home. She unlocked the door and guided a stumbling Vanille in, trying to make sure the girl didn't trip over her feet. After helping her to the sofa she went over to the kitchenette and started heating a pot of water. Vanille was leaning forward, using her arms as support as she swayed herself from side to side, a goofy smile on face.

While she was a little frustrated by the situation, Fang couldn't help but be amused by Vanilles behavior, and she still maintained that cuteness she loved. She finished fixing the drinks and sat herself next to Vanille. "Be careful with this, it's still a bit hot." The girl had at least recovered enough of her wits to comprehend what she was told, and took the warm mug slowly.

Fang drank hers down quickly, while Vanille sipped hers slowly. Fang relaxed against the sofa and watched as her girlfriend finished the hot liquid. She licked her lips after the last drop and glanced over her shoulder at Fang. "Don't want another one, do you?" She shook her head and set her mug on the table then sat back against Fang.

They sat there like that for a while, just enjoying the peaceful moment together. After a bit Vanille started to fidget. "Something wrong?" She started to get up and Fang watched as she wobbled a little on her feet.

"Bathroom." She was still tipsy and was using the counter as support.

"Want some help?" Vanille shook her head.

"I can manage this much." She found her way to the bathroom and shut the door.

Fang cleaned the dirty mugs and put them back in the cupboard. It had been a few minutes and Vanille hadn't come out yet, so she walked to the door and gave a knock. "You alright in there?"

"I'm fine, I'll be out in a minute." Fang could hear the sink running as she walked to the closet. She removed her clothes down to her black undies, tossing the dirtied garments into a basket.

Vanille walked out of the bathroom, feeling refreshed, and glanced around for Fang. "Fang?"

Fang walked out of the closet upon hearing her name. "Ya?" She noticed how Vanille was eyeing her at that moment as she sat herself down on one side of the bed. "Something wrong?" The growing blush on the girls face was a sight Fang had missed over the past months.

Vanille shook her head a bit faster than she should have, as it made her a little dizzy. "Nothing's wrong, I think I did drink a little too much though." She approached the bed side opposite of Fang and sat down.

"Well, have to learn your limits somehow I guess." Vanille was glancing at Fang over her shoulder as she lectured her. The direction of her eyes didn't go unnoticed.

"See something you like?" Vanille hadn't even noticed herself staring and upon being caught she turned away again. Fang sighed softly and placed a gentle hand on the girls back, the initial contact had made the girl almost leap out of her skin with a squeak. "Relax Vanille." She pulled the girl against her and could feel how her whole frame was shivering. "You're way too tense right now."

Vanille took a moment to calm herself down, she was working herself up unintentionally. She felt Fangs hands kneading and massaging at her shoulders, a sigh escaping her lips as she relaxed. "Sorry… I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Always apologizing, really now. You've got to be exhausted, that should be plenty reason to be off edge." She was working her way lower down Vanilles back now, massaging at any knots along the way.

Vanille became silent and offered no more words to the conversation. Fang leant over to see her face. Vanilles eyes were closed, mouth open slightly with steady breaths. Fang silently chuckled to herself and slowly laid Vanille down, pulling the blanket over her. She placed a kiss on her forehead. "Night love." She spoke softly enough to not wake her.

Vanille was half curled into a ball as Fang slid herself beneath the blankets, and upon feeling the warmth from Fang's body she relaxed and snuggled against her. Fang wrapped an arm around her waist, fingers tracing whimsical patterns across the girls back, only stopping when she fell asleep.

* * *

_Author's Note: Gawww!! Dangit, this was supposed to be the final chapter, but after getting near the 15 page mark, I decided I'm going to have to extend this into one final chapter, it probably won't be but a few pages long (mostly smut content, so feel free to skip out on it if you have no interest in that, lol!). So ya.. I'll try to have that out nice and quick like for those that have been anticipating such a chapter. XD I reread this once, so I apologize for any errors that I may have missed… Til next time~_


	5. Our First Union

**Our First Union…**

**Rated: M / NC-17** (for strong sexual situations)

_Author's Note: This occurs on the very next day following Ch. 4._

* * *

Vanille awoke to the glaring rays of sun peeking through the blinds, an arm immediately moving to hide her eyes before rolling to face away from them. The motion makes her head spin, a pulsing feeling throbs in her skull following shortly after. She groaned at the annoying discomfort of the obvious hangover. Her hand started seeking blindly for Fang, only to find she wasn't in bed.

With reluctance she cracked her eyes open, squinting around the room for any signs of her girlfriend. She pulled herself out of the bed with a groan and shuffled to the door, a hand errantly trying to fix her messy hair. "Fang?" She called as she walked into the living area. She sighed a little to find the taller girl was nowhere to be found inside, but noticed a covered plate and paper next to it on the counter.

She lifted the cover to find a full plate of breakfast that was still mildly warm. She picked up the note with her other hand, reading the delicate handwriting.

'Went out on a few errands. Be back around noon. Make sure to eat your meal. Love ya. -Fang' Vanille giggled at the simplicity of the note and sets it down before eating the generous offering. It was enough to satisfy.

She washed the dishes and, after opening several cupboards, found the one they belonged in and put them away. The dinging of a clock behind her caught her attention. "It's 11 already? I really slept in… Fang should have woke me up." She thought out loud. "Guess I can shower before she gets back at least."

* * *

Fang stood up straight and stretched after cleaning out the last stall. The stables had been asking her to help out a lot lately as they were shorthanded. While she appreciated the workout, she didn't so much enjoy the task. "Hey boss, I'm finished. I'm guna head on out now."

The manager of the stables waved her off as she walked past him. "Thanks for the help, as always." Fang tossed a hand up in a waving gesture.

She walked through the streets with her hands clasped behind her neck, thinking what she and Vanille could do today. A steady grin appearing on her lips as she thought about what she'd like to do, then laughing quietly at herself over the notion. 'Ya, great plan for an entire day there.'

She shook her head of the perverted thoughts as she approached her home. "I'm back!" She called out as she entered, and saw no sign of Vanille in the living area. "You better not still be sleeping." She walked into the bedroom to find Vanille standing up from a pile of her belongings.

"Fang, where were you?" She had her hands on her hips already.

"Me? I was only filling in at YOUR job. I would have run you up, but you looked too damn cute sleeping as you were. Not to mention you slept through the alarm all five times that it went off." Vanille looked away flustered.

"You still should have woke me, I hate sleeping in you know." She knelt down and started to clear up the mess she'd made. "Thanks for filling in for me at least, I'll be sure to get back out there tomorrow morning."

Vanille didn't notice as Fang walked up behind her, until she grasped one of her wrists. "Hey, I'm trying to clean Fang." She was gently tugged up to her feet and into Fangs arms. There was a familiar fire burning in Fangs eyes, and had she not of had the taller womans support she may have melted on the spot. No further advancements were made, she looked like she was thinking about something. Vanille brought a hand up and brushed some stray hairs away from Fangs eyes. "What's on your mind? It's not like you to hesitate."

Fang seemed to come out of her daze. "Date."

"Hmm? Date, what?"

"Let's go out on a date today, to the city."

"By city, you mean… Paddra?" Fang nodded, planting a gentle kiss on her lips as she did so.

Fang glanced at the clock. "The next train for there leaves in an hour. It's kind of a long ride, maybe three hours, but I thought it would be a fun experience. You've never been, right?"

"Mm. No I haven't. But I would like to." Fang placed another kiss on her lips, lingering a little longer this time, then stepped back out of the embrace and towards the bathroom.

"Great, I'm going to take a quick shower first, so be ready to go once I'm out." Vanille opted to finish cleaning her mess while waiting, which wasn't long, as Fangs definition of a quick shower was literally all of five minutes. She came out in her underwear a moment later, toweling her hair as she walked into the closet. Vanille watched the whole process, even as Fang came back into the room carrying her blue clothing, and the record breaking short time it took her to fold and wrap the outfit properly.

Vanille giggled to herself as she remembered a moment from their childhood. "What are you laughing about over there?" Fang buckled her belt into place and started equipping her jewelry.

"Well, you remember that time I tried putting your outfit together for you and failed miserably?" Fang laughed at the thought.

"Remember? How could I forget, you had it completely wrong and it wouldn't stay on at all, not to mention me tripping over the skirt. I had to take it all off after a few minutes just to redo it myself, and then you went off crying about it." A few moments of shared laughter and they were on their way to the station.

"Oh! Fang, do you think we have time to stop by the leather crafters shop? I wanted to pick up something I asked them to make for me last night."

"Hmm, well it's on the way.. So as long as it's a quick in and out, we should be good for time."

It didn't take long to get to the store and Vanille headed right in while Fang chose to wait outside. A few minutes later and the girl walked back out, strapping a belt around her waist, a slab of bear hide attached to the back. Fang eyed the obscuring fur. "You don't have enough belts already?" Vanille giggled and placed her bind rod into the holsters on the back.

"Well, I wanted a better way to carry my rod, and it'll help keep me warm." She wrapped her arms around one of Fangs and they began walking towards the station again.

"Well, if you needed something to keep your butt warm, you should of just asked me." The comment earned her a pinch to the arm. "Ow. God, not back two days and you're already abusing me again. I should file for a restraint order perhaps." She looked thoughtful about the idea.

Vanille grinned up at her. "Hah, you wouldn't do that. Besides, I know you like it."

Fang raised a brow at her. "Oh really? And how did you come by information like that?" Vanille had a sly look in her eyes as she glanced at Fang, her arms tightening their grip around Fangs.

"Mm. Just a hunch I guess. I'm sure you would make it clear if you really didn't like it." Fang picked up the challenge in her voice.

"Ah, well, I guess you've got me all figured out. Okay, fine, I do like it when you're rough with me Vanille. As a matter of fact, you should do it more often, maybe even be a little more persistent about it." The backfire was making Vanille blush, just as Fang anticipated.

"Well… Oh look, we're at the station, we should hurry, right?" Vanille played off the situation and ran ahead a bit. Fang laughed at her victory as she walked to the booth to buy their tickets.

Within minutes the two were boarding the train, promptly guided to their seats and offered a menu of appetizers, which they refused. "Don't want to spoil our dinner tonight." Fang had said while eyeing Vanille, the shorter girl was sitting beside the window starring outside in anticipation. "Have you ever been on the train?"

Vanille looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hmm, once or twice, but only when I was really small, so I don't really remember." Fang wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a quick kiss, then settled into her seat.

Throughout the long ride Vanille took to starring out the window in fascination at the scenery as it whizzed by, Fangs lance that was propped against the empty seat in front of them would shift every now and then with the train. Fang herself had nodded off into a light nap, a small trail of drool slowly making its way down her chin.

"Hey Fang, you don't think anything will attack the train do you?" The question only popped into the girls head when she saw a large familiar, snake like monster flying through the sky in the distance. When no reply was offered she turned to face her girlfriend, a soft smile spread across her face at the sight of Fang sleeping. She raised a hand and gently wiped the spit from the girls face with her thumb. Her fingers lingered a moment as she caressed the soft skin.

Vanille sat herself down in the seat properly and pulled Fangs head down to rest against hers in an effort to make her more comfortable. For the last half of the ride they sat like that, Fangs body slowly sliding lower and lower until her head was in Vanilles lap.

The train came to a stop and the speakers crackled to life with the attendants voice saying they'd arrived in Paddra. Fang awoke to the feel of a hand massaging her scalp, the sensation sending pleasant chills down her spine. "Enjoy your nap?" Vanille was looking down at her and Fang found herself fighting off a blush. To play it off she sat up quickly, kissing Vanille in the process, then standing to stretch.

"Ya, hard to not enjoy a nap when you're the pillow." She snatched up her lance, snapping it into its holster, then extended a hand out to help Vanille from her seat. "You ready?" Vanille nodded as she grasped the hand and was pulled from the seat.

The girl was enthralled with the sights of the tall buildings that filled her vision after exiting the train. Fang watched as Vanille expressed her excitement with a flurry of 'ooh's and ahh's' accompanied with flailing arm movements and pointing at everything, asking what they were. "Let's get going, you'll get to see plenty more." Fang grabbed hold of a hand and pulled the girl along, giving her a small tour of the areas she knew.

A while later, Fang had run out of places to show off. They had visited several stores and now she looked up to the sky to gauge the time, had to be around 7 if not later by now. "You hungry Vanille?"

"Mhm." The girl was looking up to her as she thought of where to go.

"Let's see, I think I know of a good place that you'll like."

An hour later the two exited the chosen restaurant with full bellies. "Wow, that was so good!" Vanille stretched as they walked down the street.

"Glad you enjoyed it." Fang had an arm around her waist, Vanille mimicking the embrace. "Should probably head on to the station, we should be able to catch the last train back to Oerba."

They had made it to the station just in time, the train departing short minutes after they were seated. The ride back was spent mostly with Vanille talking about her adventures and trials during her hunt, and Fang spoke of what she kept herself occupied with while the girl was away.

Finally arriving in Oerba, the duo headed straight to their home. "Ahh, I had so much fun." Vanille stretched as she entered the building, then removed her boots. She turned and gave Fang a peck on the cheek. "Thank you Fang."

"Anytime hun." Vanille giggled and slipped into the bedroom while Fang removed her own boots. She followed shortly after and was a little surprised to find Vanille had already laid herself under the covers. "Not tired are we?" 'It's midnight dummy.' Fang unbuckled her belt, allowing the blue fabric to fall freely into a pile, then climbed under the blankets herself, turning off the lamp as she did so. "You asleep already?"

Vanille hadn't so much as looked her way since she entered the room. Main reason being the furious blush on the girls face. She was shivering and had her eyes shut tightly, her hands gripped desperately at the cover, keeping it pulled up to her neck. Her breath caught in her throat when she felt Fangs hand rest on her shoulder. "You ok Vanille? It's not like you to just go to bed like this."

Fang could feel the girl tense beneath her hand, she gave a gentle tug to try and make Vanille face her, only to be resisted as the girl didn't budge. "Vanille?"

"I'm fine." Her voice came out shaky. A moment passed before Vanille finally moved. A subtle shift on her side at first as she hesitated, then gently turned, placing her hands against Fangs shoulders, pressing the older girl into the bed as she sat herself on her hips.

It was dark, but the full moons light provided enough lighting to clearly reveal Vanilles fully nude form. Fang was speechless, mouth agape, eyes wide as she took in the sight before her, a steady blush claiming them both. "V-Vanille.. Why are you…" Vanille placed a finger against her lips, which was quickly replaced by her own in a kiss. The kiss became heated quickly, their tongues rolling over the others in a fight for dominance. Fangs hands had remained firmly planted in the sheets, the kiss was driving her mad and since Vanille seemed insistent to go this far she gave in and wrapped her arms around the girls waist, pulling their bodies together. They both gasped as flesh met flesh and Vanille decided to free Fang of her top, furthering the contact.

As the kiss intensified Vanille began rubbing her body against Fangs, an almost electric feeling jolting them both every time their nipples brushed against the others. They finally broke the kiss off to regain their breath, Vanille took the opportunity to rid Fang of her panties, their kiss resuming immediately after. They had a leg between the others, every movement making their thighs rub against each other.

Fang could feel her eyes roll as Vanilles tongue dove deeply into her mouth, then trailed along the roof of her mouth, then out across her lips and down her jaw. She took a sharp inhale when Vanille groped her breasts, arching herself further into them. A gasp escaped her when they were given a solid squeeze, and again when fingers started teasing her nipples.

Vanille was nibbling over Fangs neck now, stopping to suck and bite on a few random places, the bites causing the girl to whimper desperately. She continued moving farther down, halting her actions only long enough to take in the sight of Fangs breasts. She flicked her tongue over a taught nipple, gauging the reaction it caused.

Fangs entire frame was shaking from the excitement, her body arching to gain more contact with Vanilles mouth. The girl complied and closed her lips around the nipple, causing Fang to gasp. She placed a hand on Vanilles head, pulling the obstructive bands out shakily, releasing the girls hair from their pigtails then started grasping at the girls skull through handfuls of hair. "Bite.."

Vanille released her hold on the nipple she was teasing, tilting her head up to try and understand what Fang was saying. "Hn?" Fang had a furious blush on her face.

"Bite me. There." She was panting and her voice was unsteady as she spoke, not even totally coherent of the fact she was speaking, but her mind knew what she wanted to feel.

Vanille began teasing the other nipple with her tongue, but only for a moment then bit down. Fang cried out from the sensation, her hand tightening its grip, almost painfully, in Vanilles hair. Vanille endured the stinging in her scalp, once the grip had loosened she moved back to the other nipple and repeated the action, biting down, again earning her a deep whimper from Fangs throat.

She moved herself back up to claim Fangs lips, her right hand trailed down along her ribs. Tracing patterns along the taught and twitching muscles of Fangs abdomen, reveling at the firm contours, then slowly inched further down.

Fangs breathing hitched in her throat when she felt the fingers tracing over the single, neatly trimmed line of her pubes and finally beginning to slide over her slit. She fought the urge to buck her hips when a finger idly stroked over her clit. Her breathing was becoming more labored now with the building anticipation.

Vanilles fingers parted the labia, allowing her thumb to continue rubbing over the clit. Fangs hips occasionally jerking. Vanille was circling her opening with her middle finger. She glanced up to Fangs face from her position on her neck, her eyes were closed and mouth agape with her shallow breaths. She generously bit down on her neck, causing Fang to buck against her, and with that she gently, but quickly plunged a finger inside her.

Fang bit her lip when a second finger was thrust inside, a sudden stinging sensation caused a subtle cry to escape her throat. Vanille stopped her hands motions at the sound and began to pull her fingers out only to be stopped by Fang placing a hand over her own. She looked at the older girl with concern and before she could ask if she was alright Fang used her other hand to pull her into a kiss.

Vanille took this as an obvious sign to continue and obliged, a bit more gently this time. Thrusting her fingers in repeatedly, changing the angle occasionally. Her thumb would tease her clit whenever she slowed the thrusts down. Fang was moving against her hand now, setting a rhythm for her to follow, which was becoming more erratic.

Vanille had to use the weight of her own body to keep Fangs movements limited. The girls pants were coming out more as moans now, eyes screwed shut. Vanille thrust as hard as she could, arm getting sore from the exertion, she kept enduring until finally Fang tensed and shivered uncontrollably.

Fang let out a deep moan as she orgasmed and for a moment she couldn't hear or see anything, only pleasurable waves were felt continuously shaking her mind and body. Vanille slowed her fingers until Fang came down from her high then removed them. The girl grimaced slightly at the sight of the blood on her hand. Fang had an arm resting against her forehead as she regained her breath.

Vanille was going to relax next to Fang, but the idea was quickly wiped away as the taller girl reversed their positions, pinning her to the bed. She'd be a liar if she said she wasn't nervous. A glazed feral expression crossed Fangs face as she eyed the girl beneath her, a gaze that made her shiver.

Fang wasn't going to waste much time on teasing, she knew Vanille was already sensitive. Every little stroke over the younger girls nipples produced subtle moans and sporadic twitches. Fang kissed her deeply as she tweaked a nipple. Vanille tilted her face away from Fangs so she could breath. She traveled her way down, taking the other nipple in her mouth, enjoying the sounds she was getting from the girl.

Her free hand stroked down to the girls bare pubis, the smooth area enticed a few whimsical patterns to be traced over it. Only teasing there for a moment then gliding down over her labia. She idly fingered over the wet entrance, stroked her clit and glanced up to Vanilles heavily lidded eyes, then gently shoved a finger in clear up to her knuckle.

The sudden action, swiftly and surely, tore the girls hymen. She yelped out from the pain, a few tears began sliding through her closed lids, a far more intense reaction in comparison to Fang.

Fang withdrew her finger to allow the girl to recuperate, swiftly kissing the tears away. It only took a moment for her to calm. "Fang…" The girl whimpered desperately. She needn't say more and a slender finger thrust into her once again. It still stung but as they got into a rhythm the pain was forgotten with a building pleasure.

Vanille was dripping wet and getting more into it, so Fang upped it a little and slid a second digit in. The girl moaned from the added pressure inside her and the palm now rubbing roughly against her clit was building the tension. Fang was thrusting harder and faster, sometimes curling her fingers and twisting her wrist to hit more spots.

It didn't take long for the girl to orgasm, Fang could feel the girls inner walls tightening on her fingers. A final stroke over her clit sent the girl falling over the edge, a loud, sweet moan spread throughout the room as she came.

Fang let her ride it out on her fingers, only removing them once the girl stopped moaning and her arched back settled back onto the bed, her breath coming out as shallow pants. She took a quick glance down and laughed mentally, 'guna have to buy new sheets.'

She slide herself back up, resting on her side next to Vanille, watching as the girl caught her breath, a soft smile gracing her face. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" The question caught the shorter girl off guard, she looked up to Fang, not really able to form words right now, so she shook her head. Fang placed the gentlest of kisses on her lips, then the tip of her nose, and finally her forehead. Then wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, Vanille nuzzled into her neck. Fang grinned. "You're really cute when you moan."

"FANG!" Vanille buried her face into Fangs chest, covering her ears with her hands.

"Haha! What's so wrong about that?" She tugged the girls hands, clasping them together in her own. Vanille looked tiredly up at her.

"It's not something you share out loud, even if there's no one else to hear it." Fang kissed her pouting lips. The shorter girl sighed and relaxed again, a hidden grin formed on her lips. "I win, by the way."

This time Fang was taken off guard by the random comment, tilting her head with a quirked eyebrow. "You win? Win what?"

"I knew you liked it rough." Vanille backfired on her taller girlfriend. The statement clearly getting to Fang with a fresh blush claiming her face. Her mouth opened and closed a few times like she was going to make a come back, but she honestly couldn't find any words, so she kept her mouth shut and let Vanille gloat over her victory.

A short lived victory at that as Fang decided to start a wrestling game with the girl. Fang won in the end, having her pinned beneath only to collapse next to her afterwards in a fit of shared laughter. Exhaustion soon claimed them both as they settled down, their limbs entangled with each other. They fell into a blissful sleep, their union only setting up the next stage in their lives together.

-The End-

* * *

_Author's Note: … …… …… Ya, is what I have to say about writing smut. :D But there ya'll go, sorry if it didn't turn out as good as you'd hoped, but it IS the first time I write out a full smut scene. Yup.. Pretty much from there, about 2 years later is where events would happen that would lead into the games storyline. I had thought of adding another chapter for like.. a wedding thing for the two, but I don't think I can handle writing more smut right now, LOL, or writing anymore for a while in general, I'll just draw instead. (Link for my art page is in the profile if you're interested.) :D_

_So yes! A big thank you to everyone who R&R'd my story (also to those who will R&R it in the future), and to those who motivated me to keep on writing until the end!! *hugs you all!* Til next time!~ *In the words of Vanille: Ciao~*_


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